A determined group of parents from the Isle of Sheppey have been preparing to sue Kent County Council (KCC). They are concerned and angry that secondary school places—of which they would add—have been allocated to their children. This persistent and wrenching lack of available and accessible places has put advocates in a complex bind. That means at least 25 families have a hard time finding the right school for their children.
Most of the impacted families filled a public meeting Wednesday night, where they demanded answers. These families have been offered places at schools on the mainland, most notably in Faversham. In practice, they run into logistical hurdles with this setup. Lorraine Joseph, a parent whose son has been offered a place at a school in Faversham, highlighted the complications by stating, “There is no direct bus service from where we are to Faversham.”
The travel times from the Isle of Sheppey to Faversham are considerable, with a roughly 60 mile round trip. Families can’t afford to lose transport options. They claim that the inability to find a school place is directly attributed to the absence of local schools.
In response to the chronic pressures, KCC appears to have given up on dealing with the demand for secondary school places. The council was recently congratulated for negotiating an expansion of secondary places at Leigh Academy Minster. A spokesperson for KCC stated, “Following an agreement KCC secured to expand secondary places at Leigh Academy Minster after National Offer Day, more offers will be going out over the next few weeks.” With the current exodus exacerbating the already-deep shortage, this initiative is intended to help relieve some of the pressure from that shortfall.
Additionally, KCC has made provisions for any pupil who qualifies for a place in a new school to receive transport assistance. The council has stepped up to ensure the island’s education continues to improve. They are opening two of their new schools to replace the broken Oasis Academy, which was rated inadequate when inspected by Ofsted in 2022.
While KCC sounds like it’s moving in the right direction to try to resolve this, parents are adamant that they still plan to seek legal action if needed. For one, they want the best possible education for their kids. Despite long commutes and an inability to rely on local options, they aren’t willing to take no for an answer.
